Listening is the essential phase in the communication process
Posted by finalcom on April 28, 2007
Effective communication can not be achieved without listening. However – in practical terms- the employees and the employers forget to listen. There are many varied reasons but it’s essential to remember that an interdependent relationship between employers and employees in terms of listening and feed back is essential for success. This relationship should not challenge issues such as power and authority in a company. There are few common situations where it is obvious that the link – employer –employee is broken.
Situation 1: I will leave the door open but call me before you come!
The employer creates the illusion that he/she is accessible to everyone when the reality is different: he wants to have full control of everything and everyone. In the meetings he acts the same- every member of the team can make suggestions but the final decision comes from the boss. In some situations his decisions were taken before the planned meeting.
Situation 2: I completely agree with you! What were you saying?
This is another form of misunderstandings between employer and employee. It usually occurs when there is a lack of understanding and questioning. The employees do not get the message from the boss and the boss assumes that everyone is happy. Some of the causes can be related to lack of interest for the issue, no respect for employer’s opinions, authority etc. In this situation none of the parts listen or they listen what they want to hear.
Situation 3: Did the boss say something? I did not hear it.
This is a particular case because it deals with defensive attitudes. The employees do not want to listen and/or accept feedbacks from the employers. Somehow the company still survives because of its size (different departments, different managers etc). In these companies the productivity is misleading.
Related articles:
“Listening, the key to employee commitment” (Bennet Simonton)
« Leadership listens » (Dan Bobinsky)
“Boss, are you listening? ”(Aparna Karthikeyan)
